Vontre's Magegraf, advanced theorycrafting tool for mages.

◊ Vontre · 05/12/08, 9:15 PM

For those who had been keeping up with the project before, I just posted a major update to magegraf.com. The good stuff? A full gear selection interface that automatically updates from the armory. Commence rejoicing.

How it works
Magegraf is almost a simulator, providing incredible detail and accuracy while still being fast enough to recalculate on a whim. Magegraf calculates an optimal sequence of spell firing and individualing calculates each spell's damage over x amount of time. However, the things we know; crit/hit averages, average damage, proc rates; are averaged out for each spell, so you always get the same perfect result. It then makes a graf of fite (tm) that looks something like this:

Do you see that shit? It's a fucking beautiful graph. Er, graf. That's what an arcane mage looks like. That's what this shit does, it makes grafs and they tell you stuff. Oh and instantly calculate the best gear and spec for your character, incidentally.

The tool comes with a variety of output and fact checking options, so other theorycrafters can verify what's going on under the hood. With peer review, we know we're getting the right results.

Magegraf is in beta right now, there are more features I plan to add in the near future. Incidentally, the backend code is very modular and can easily be adapted to other dps casters and, in the future, other dps classes entirely. Oh also don't use the fire warlock set, it's a little on the high end. This is now the official magegraf thread, so post any questions, comments or suggestions here.

Edit: I forgot to mention one of the best features, the ability to instantly share your results. Every calculation has a unique url hash associated to it, so just copy the url out of your browser to show other people what you're seeing.

http://www.magegraf.com/

Edit: Important note here. IF YOU ARE POSTING AN ERROR, please include a link to your results so I can quickly find out what the problem is. Thank you.

Mode · 05/12/08, 10:43 PM

The tier 1 engineering goggles and Timbal's aren't given as options.

Khaine · 05/13/08, 12:27 AM

Thank you for the work you put into this.
The effect timing seems a bit odd: Hex Shrunken and Skull don't stack anymore but they are both used at the same time. Destruction Potion ist listed twice (might be just a display bug). Unless I'm reading it wrong, I have 44 seconds of Bloodlust (307-351) and my own cds are used 6 seconds before Bloodlust. Evocation also seems misplaced with all cds up and in execute range (314).

This is the link to my results:
http://www.magegraf.com/index.php?ha...be2f7d9c74164b

There are also some items missing:
[Shroud of the Highborne] - This one doesn't even show up when I use the armory import.
[Gloves of Tyri's Power]
Sunflare - I know it is only on the unconfirmed leaked screenshot but it appears to be the best option.

Stolidus · 05/13/08, 1:01 AM

If at all, how are you handling multiple drums/bloodlusts? I can see drums being applied every 3ish seconds or so when I turn them on, but I don't see a number specification anywhere either, so I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a full or single drum rotation.

◊ Vontre · 05/13/08, 2:16 AM

I haven't gotten around to prettying up some of those outputs, so I'll explain them. The effect timing outputs a list of all active buffs at every spell interval, so it's not related to activation times. I still haven't gotten around to forcing the timers on trinkets to not stack, but it's a relatively minor effect. As for the missing items, I'll have to take a look at the armory import queries to figure out why they're missing.

Oh, forgot, the timing of mana abilities like tap/evocation isn't displayed accurately. They're taken as a subtraction from overall dps time, for an average use, so the code is a bit suboptimal at this point, however I made sure they aren't actually subtracting from timer-stack time.

Densor · 05/13/08, 3:12 AM

I've noticed that most spreadsheets and theorycrafting tools use an AB/FB cycle of some sort for 40/0/21 builds. Was it determined at some point that FB spam was inferior to an AB/FB cycle at all points? And if not, could it be added as a possible option?

I ask because, at least for my raid, mages don't get shadow priests for DPS fights (specifically Brutallus). Given the limitations on mana imposed by such a group setup, AB spam isn't a viable option, and FB spam is better than a plain AB/FB cycle in terms of DPS at higher gear levels, or so I am led to believe by tools such as TCoM.

Also, meta gems aren't being imported properly. It seems to default to the MSD.

Myko · 05/13/08, 3:42 AM

Using Internet Explorer 7, the page will not load properly. The URL alternates between magegraf.com and magegraf.com/index.php?hash=xxx.

Teepz · 05/13/08, 3:54 AM

Great utility.

Bugs I found:
Socket Bonuses are not being accounted for. (personally not accounting for 20 +dmg and +2 hit)
Races do not seem to import correctly either.

Will post as I find more.

Pintofbrew · 05/13/08, 10:47 AM

I always loved the graf representation your utility spewed out, excellent in understanding and quickly analysing comparative changes without having to grab a pen and pad and waste half an hour.

Good luck debugging it, it'll be a welcome addition to the mage v world wars.

Alvira · 05/13/08, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Myko

Using Internet Explorer 7, the page will not load properly. The URL alternates between magegraf.com and magegraf.com/index.php?hash=xxx.

I run into the same problem.

Allanonn · 05/13/08, 12:55 PM

This looks great Vontre! Thanks for the new tool!

Playing around, I've found a few minor issues:

-Leggings of Tirisfall socket bonus not registering correctly.
-Is there no way to turn off meta gems? Adding the Hood of Hexing, I get different DPS results when I change the meta gems (which of course it does not have...).

Antiphonal · 05/13/08, 2:03 PM

Safari for Windows FTW!!

Seriously though - and this may be a dumb observation, but the magegraf is consistently valuing frost specs far higher than Rawr is doing at my gear level. I'm trying to keep identical options between the two, but usually Magegraf shows 18/0/43 doing 100 more dps for me than Rawr - putting it within 40-60 dps of 2/48/11.

I have zero idea if this is a calculation bug or if I'm missing something that I should be doing.

BTW - absolutely love the graph view. Thanks again for such an informative TC tool.

◊ Vontre · 05/13/08, 2:42 PM

-Fixed an issue that was causing spell hit socket bonuses to not display correctly
-Fixed an issue that was causing socket bonuses to not add up
-Fixed an issue that caused blood elf race to not import
-Fixed an issue that caused meta gems to not import
-Fixed an issue that allowed meta gems to be selected on helms without meta sockets

◊ Vontre · 05/13/08, 2:45 PM

Server looks like it's getting hammered right now. This tends to happen on occasion. If anyone has a good recommendation for a new hosting service I'm all for it. =

Edit: looks like the database is what's fucked. Hmmm.

Deathwing · 05/13/08, 2:48 PM

One suggestion would be to make the graph a bit more informative. I think I get the general idea, but units of measurement on the x and y axis might help a bit.

I don't see the section where it recommends gear. Again, I can do spec(highest dps/rdps). Also, I don't see a buff option for warlock spell damage armor, assumed?

Last thing, what are you using to compute rdps contributions for things like ISB? Wouldn't that take at least some information on other people in the raid and their gear?

• frmorrison · 05/13/08, 5:32 PM

I don't see Fel Armor under buffs, that is another 130 damage (100 damage if Affliction) added.

For drums and heroism, I recommend different versions, i.e. 1x drums, 2x drums, 4x drums, and 1x hero and 2x hero.

◊ Vontre · 05/13/08, 5:43 PM

Fel Armor is assumed, because why would you ever not be using it?

noth · 05/13/08, 5:44 PM

Vontre - what does the +/- mana part of your graph headers indicate? "Frost: 836 dps (+7791 mana)"

◊ Vontre · 05/13/08, 5:58 PM

That is the amount of mana you would presumably end the fight with.

Deathwing · 05/14/08, 10:31 AM

I don't get why frost keeps beating a lot of other builds. Not by a lot, but this seems contrary to common knowledge.

◊ Vontre · 05/14/08, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by Deathwing

I don't get why frost keeps beating a lot of other builds. Not by a lot, but this seems contrary to common knowledge.

This generally means you are not geared correctly.

Belenos · 05/14/08, 2:32 PM

The page will not load correctly in the latest IE or the latest Opera. (That's quite an accomplishment in itself). What browsers does it work in, as I'd love to check it out?

snootz · 05/14/08, 2:38 PM

I couldn't get the site to run in IE, but it ran in Firefox. One thing I noticed as said above, it doesn't read any stats for Shroud of the Highborne

Canyc · 05/14/08, 2:39 PM

Seems to be going into an infinite loop cycling between magegraf.com with and without some long hash code attached. Is this a bug or just a symptom of server overload?

Deathwing · 05/14/08, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by Vontre

This generally means you are not geared correctly.

http://www.magegraf.com/index.php?ha...1777c3baf57c82

I don't play a mage, so I accept that it's not the optimal gear. I took the best pieces for a warlock from Sunwell and used Tempest 4-piece instead of Malefic(bracers, belt, boots, shoulders). Frost barely looses to Fire/Cold Snap, and is only a bit farther behind Fire. Beats every other mage spec there.